Gasoline rock drill



Jan. 3, 1928.

J. V. RICE, JR

GASOLINE ROCK DRILL Original Filed April 12. 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEYS Jan. 3, 1928. v

' I J. V. RICE, JR

GASOLINE ROCK DRILL Original Filed April 12. 1921 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS iii Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,654,833 PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN V. RICE, JR., OF BORDENTOWN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, TO FRED E. TASKER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GASOLINE R Application filed April 12, 1921, Serial This invention refers to an improvement inthe general class of hydrocarbon or gasactuated rock drills, and the particular subdivision of the general class commonly known as hammer or impact drills, and having as a special characteristic means forv enabling the motor piston to deliver a succession of short, hard blows upon the end of the drill-carrying member, which latter corresponds to the piston-rod in other types of gasoline rock-drills, it being therefore noted that in the present case the piston and the drill-carrying member .or rod are distinct and unconnected elements and that the operation involves the reciprocation of the piston freely within the cylinder in relation to the drill-carrying member, and the striking of a multiplicity of blows inside the cylinder, wherebymany unique and advantageous results are secured as compared with the other type where the piston rod or drillcarrying member is rigidly attached to the piston, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth, to the end that the best and most'efi'ective results in actual practice may be 0btained, the hammer type of drill being particularly useful in certain locations and under certain conditions. The invention, therefore, having in view the end I have suggested, and made up of as few mechanical parts as, possible, may be said tO COIlSlSt essentially in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and then definitly'and carefully pointed out in the ensuing clauses of claim. In the accompanying drawing illustrating my invention Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of my improved gasoline rock drill.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same in a reverse position. V

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-section on the line 3, 3, of'Figure 1. v

Figure 4 is a cross-section on the line 4, 4, of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a cross-section on the line 5, 5,) of Figure 1. Similar characters of reference denote-like parts throughoutthedifferent figures of the drawing. p

1 denotes the main cylindrical frame'of the machine, which constitutes the cylinder of the motor. It is of the differential type and has the opposite heads 76 and 82. In

ocx DRILL.

No. 460,777. Renewed may 12, 1927.

connection with head 82 a drill-carrying rod which corresponds to the ordinary piston rod, as 53, is carried by suitable means, made up of a. multiplicity of various parts which co-operate in the production of certain results, which I shall presently describe at length. Cylinder 1 has any suitable cooling appliance, for it may use water or other liquid, a fan, or any other effective cooling agent, but I preferably build it with a multiplicity of radial fins or flanges 51 which cover more or less of the outer surface, so as to avoid some of the objections incidental to water jackets and the like, said flan es being properly proportioned to provi e the radiating surface necessary for the amount of heat generated in the operation. When desired, though not necessarily, the cylinder 1 may be made in two parts that are joined closely together at the centre, as at 70, and these two parts preferably have lugs 1, 1*, thereon, through and to which the tie-rods l are connected, so as to hold the two parts together in a single cylindrical unit. But it will be evident that this construction may be widely departed from, and that I do not consider the bi-sectional character of the cylinder as at all essential.

Referring now to. the cylinder head 82 and the appurtenant members, it: will be noted that I have devised'special means for carrying the drill-carrying rod 53 and allowing it to easily reciprocate under the impact-of the piston blows thereon, and also the rod has therewith a special construction of'ratchet and pawl device, which will cause it to intermittently rotate in order to accomplishthe necessary rotary shifting of the drill at the end of each stroke. The said piston rod 53 is provided at a point outside of the cylinder with a drill chuck 6, through making a tight joint upon the rod 53. On

the rod 53 is a series of inclined or spiral ribs 58, which engage corresponding grooves in the interior part of a ratchet wheel 57, which is loosely mounted upon the rod 53 inside'of' the barrel extension and its outer section 59. The teeth of this wheel 57 are engaged by a series of flexible pawls that are mounted in the ring portion 59 of barrel 56 and the details of which are clearly indioated, not only in Figure 1, but more fully and on a larger scale in Figure 5. These pawls comprisepins 62 having teeth that engage the teeth of the ratchet wheel 57, and are located in radial slots in the ring portion 59 of the barrel extension 56. These pawls 62 are controlled as to their radial movement by means of pins 64 fast in the ring 59 and passing through slots 63 in the pawls 62. Further, these pawls 62 are urged inwardly so that their teeth may press against the teeth of the ratchet wheel 57 by means of springs 61, which are inserted between the ends of the. pawls 62 and the screw caps that are screwed into interiorly screw-threaded projections on the outside surface of the ring 59 and are therefore easily accessible from without and are adjustable as desired for regulating the tension of the springs 61 and therefore graduating the rip of the pawls in relation tothe teeth 0 the ratchet wheel 57.

It will be evident that as the rod 53 reciprocates in one direction it will pursue a rectilineal movement without rotating, while at the next reciprocation it will not only pursue a rectilineal movement but will also rotate to a greater or less extent and will be held from rotating backwardly by the slipping of the teeth of the ratchet over the pawls and allowing the pawls to engage, as shown in Figure 5. I utilize four pawls in the specific example of the invention here indicated in order that the rod 53 may be .firmly held. A spring 55 is inserted between the head 54 ofthe rod 53 and some one of the rigid parts that constitute a portion of the bearing for the rod 53, which spring compresses as the rod 53 is driven outwardly and then extends and by itsres'iliency' returns the rod inwardly or up-.

'wardly again each time after the outward movement is ended. It should be noted also that the head 54 on rod 53is' substantially reciprocates within the cylinder '1.

larger than the piston rod 53 and is made of some very hard and tough material, so that the constant pounding, and hammering thereon which takes placeduring the operation of the drill will not batter the same to pieces or injure it so as to require replacement any oftener than is absolutely necessary. The arrangement which I have described, consisting of a barrel-like extension 56 which screws on the head 82 of the cylinder, enables the parts to be quickly and easily disassembled in order to give quick access to the interior for the purpose of adjusting any part that may be out of order, supplying new parts, making repairs, etc.

It is thus evident that the ratchet wheel 57 engaged by the pawls 62fis permitted to rotate in one direction, but efl'ectually prevented from rotating in the other. The rod 53, therefore, and the drilling implement carried by the chuck6 will move forward in a straight line on one reciprocation, with out rotating, while at the next reciprocation, usually on the back stroke, it will not only pursue this straight line movement but rotate to a greater or less extent, in order to accomplish the necessary rotary shifting of the drill at the end of each stroke, in like manner and for the same purpose as is the customary operation with rock drills.

Within the cylinder 1 is a differential piston 4, which is free to move in one direction or the other under the explosions of a gaseous mixture and which is entirely disconnected from any other element and is free The cylinder 1 is carried by some suitable frame, as 13, on which it, together ith the connected parts,.is adjustable by me sof an elongatedscrew 10, having a handle 11, and

working in a socket 12, on frame 13, so'that in this way the drill may be fed forward and .kept in close cont-act with its work as the boring of a hole, the cutting of rock or coal, or the like, is carried on. Frame 13 has a boss 14 thereon, by means of which the entire drilling machine is suitably supported on 'a tripod or otherwise.

As already stated, the bore of cylinder 1 has a smaller diameter at the end than in the middle portion, its difii'erential character in this respect corresponding with the differential shape of the piston 4, whiplh T e middle and larger portion of cylinder 1 furnishes the two explosion chambers C and D, between and in which the widest part 74 of the piston operates, while in the left-hand end of the cylinder and bet-ween the end of the piston and the cylinder-head 76 is t hg pump chamber A for the reception of the mixture on the left-hand or up stroke, and in the right-hand end of the cylinder, below the piston. or between -it and the lower cylinder head 82, is another pump chamber B for the reception of the charge on the righthand or down stroke of the piston. The upper or left-hand head 76 of the cylinder is preferably made in the form of a removable screw cap, which is screwed iupon or otherwise applied to the end of the cylinder. Piston 4 has not only a middle section 74 but extensions 75 therefrom, said section 74 being of larger diameter than the extensions Within the piston 4 are twolongit-udinal parallel gas ducts 7 and 8. The duct 7 extends from the chamber B, below the piston, through the latter, to the left, until it reaches and terminates in a circumferential duct or 'port 22, which coincides at times with openlngs or ports 21 that extend partly through the wall of cylinder 1-(see Figure 4) and enters the circular port or passage 21 in said wall. Said ports 21" at other times coincide with, or open into the explosionchamber O., The other similar gas duct or passage 8 connects with the primary chamber .A, in the left-hand end of cylinder 1, and

runs to the right through the piston until it reaches and terminates in the circumferential duct or port 23, which coincides at times with the explosion chamber D. Ata point about midway of the length of the cylinder 1 I locate a series ofv exhaust ports 39, that lead into the circular exhaust passage 38, which discharges through lateral ex aust pipe 9 (see Figure 3). The exhaust ports 39 have large capacity'and performtheir function with both explosion chambers C and D. In thisway are provided two fuel-handling systems, one comprising chamber B, duct 7, port 22 and explosion chamber C; and the other a distinct and non-communicating system comprising chamber A, duct 8, port 23, and explosion chamber D; it bemg further noted that thepiston is double-acting, that an explosion occurs at the end of each stroke and drives it in one direction orthe other, and that although the mixture is (in this example) all taken in both systems from one and the same end of the cylinder on the same stroke, yet compression occurs at each stroke, as well as I ignition and exhaust.

The ports 21, as also the ports 22 and 23 in both ends of the piston, are preferably, provided with wire gauze protectors 24 0 any suitable construction, designed to occupy the port openings and having the function of protecting. or screening the incoming charge and preventing it from firing prematurely or causing a back explosion, or preventing bad eflects from the use of poor or slow-burning mixtures.

The cylinder receives the explosive mixture for either end thereof by mechanism -which delivers it through a check-valve into the circular port 21', from which it flows v through the ports 21, passing at certain times into the port 22 and duct 7, and at in order that the tank 25 may automatically adjust itself or be adjusted by hand on the pin 31 and easily be made to remain at the proper level, no matter what may be the angle of support of the drillframe, Tank 25 is provided with a screw cap 32 for an opening through which the gasoline contents are introduced thereinto, and said contents pass down through a pipe 50 into the carburettor 34 (see Figure 2) from which the mixture of air and gas passes upwardly into the chamber 35 located within the tank" 25, and to which access may be had when desired through the ihterior screw cap 33, while the combustible mixture thus prepared flows out through the passage 36 around the bearing 37 and past the check-valve 26, which is supported in relation to its seat by means of a pin 27 on one side and a pin 28 on the other side, which latter pin 28 is enveloped by means of a closing spring 29, said pin 28 working in a perforation in the wall of the cylinder betweentwo of the ports 21, and said pin 27 working in a suitable opening opposite to the stationary pin 31, all the parts being thus arranged so that when valve 26- is removed-from its seat'in consequence of the action of the piston 4 in moving forward and creating a Vacuum, the explosive mixture will immediately pass through the valve 26 and enter the circular port 21, the ports 2l and the duct 22, or the chamber A, as the case may be; but obviously when the piston is movlng in the opposite direc-' tion the effect will be to tightly close the check-valve 26 upon its seat and prevent any loss of the fuel contents which have pre viously been introduced. Obviously many of the details of the fuel-tank and the means for-supporting the same, as well as the carf buretting means, and the relation and operation of the different parts, maybe widely 'diversified'and changed without exceeding the scope of the invention, but it is quite in the interest of efliciency and the best service that the'gasoline tankshould be supported upon the drill frame and be enabled to sup- 1 s may be required during the operation of the drill. 1

The foregoing description of the construction and arrangement of the various parts the mixture automatically at all times is quite sufficient to explain the operation without the need of much additional discussion along this line. Suppose we assume that the piston is at the upper or left-hand limit of its stroke, after being driven there by the firing of the charge in the explosion chamber D, the parts will be in the position shown in Figure 1, where exhaust from the chamber D is taking place through ports 39, While the chamber D is being filled by a new charge on top of the outgoing exhaust, through the port 23, which is supplied by the duct 8 leading from chamber A. At the same time the previously introduced charge in, chamberC is receiving its compression therein preparatory to its explosion, which is about to occur; and also at this moment the lateral cylinder ports 21 are in oommu-- nication with the circumferential piston duct 22 and a charge is being introduced through the valve 26 and the circular port 21 into and through the ports 21 and 22, so that said charge of the explosive mixture will flow by way of the tube 7 into the chamber B. It may be noted that the explosion chambers C and D are supplied with spark plugs 40 of any customary pattern, or any other suitable ignitionmeans. Itwill be seen that at the moment the spark plugs in the chamber C explode the compressed charge in said chamber, the piston 4 will be driven to the lower Qrright-hand limit of its stroke and into a position opposite to that which it occupied in Figure 1. On its way from the position shown in Figure 1 into this other position at the other end of the cylinder, the mixture'in the chamber B which has just been introduced -thereinto, as explained, is compressed until the circumferential duct 22 comes into communication with theexplosionchamber C, when the said mixture thus being compressed inthe compression chamber B will be delivered through the longitudinal duct 7 into the explosion chamber C, while simultaneously with such delivery of the new charge ir to the explosion chamber 0, said chamber G will open into the exhaust ports 39 and the exhaust will flow out through said ports, while the new mixture isflowing in on top of the exhaust and helping to force it out; and while this is being done the charge that was-introduced into explosion chamber D is undergoing compression, while at the same time a new charge is being sucked in through the uncovered ports 21- into the left-hand and primary pump chamber A and the piston duct 8'. Thus cycle follows cycle, after the manner of the two-cycle engine, and with resulting e'fifects of the character which I haveset forth, the operation being at once simple, complete and eflicient and a great deal of power being generated, so that the free piston 4, in its very rapid movement, causes a succession of blows to be struck by the drill-or pounding implement, upon the rock, coal or other substance which is being operated upon. v

Many advantages accrue from the construction and arrangement of parts which I have set forth and-their relative location as indicated, in respect of the saving of energy by the absorption of heat and the prevention of any loss in'this way, for it will be noted that the cool stream of fresh mix ture passes through the pump chamber to,

the explosion chamber each time, and not only is the undue heat of the explosion chamber absorbed and taken care of, but also the A one explosion chamber and to separately pass from the other pump chamber to the other explosion chamber and provided also with a hammer head for imparting blows to the drill-holding rod, together with an exhaust system common to both explosion chambers,

and a reciprocating rod working through one end of the cylinder and adapted to hold a drilling or cutting tool and adapted on its inner end to receive the blows of the hammer head of the piston during its reciprocation.

"2. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder having pump chambers in each end and explosion chambers intermediate the pump chambers, a differential piston having its ends operating in the pump chambers and its middle. enlarged portion operating in the explosion chambers, which latter chambers surround the piston, the said piston being provided with two separate non-communieating lines of ducts and ports for transferring the'fuel mixture alternately from the pump chambers to the explosion chambers and said piston being also provided with a hammer head, and a freely-reciprocating rod carrying on its outer end a drill while its inner end is exposed to the impact of blows delivered thereon by the hammer head of the piston.

3. In a gasoline rock drill, the combination of a cylinder having a pump chamber in each end and explosion chambers of larger diameter intermediate the pump chambers, a

diflerential piston having its ends of smaller section operating in thepump chambers and its middle enlarged section operating in the explosion chambers, said piston having ducts to permit the discharge to be transferred one direction the fuel which is delivered to from the pump chambers and said piston both compression chambers, said inlet means 10 being also provided with a hammer head to having automatically 0 erating' closing the explosion chambers, a drill or implement means to prevent outflow o the mixture dur- 5 with its inner endexposed to blows from in compression in the chamber.

j the hammer head of the piston, and inlet 11 testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my means at one end only of the cylinder for signature. I admitting at each stroke of the piston in JOHN V. RICE, JR. 

